While some people think of call centers as being potentially fraudulent telemarketing schemes, some legitimate businesses and organizations use call centers as a way to stay connected to their customers. Legitimate sales call centers are essentially phone banks whose operators work from a phone list, contacting potential customers who already have an established relationship with the business. A sales call center's representatives promote a variety of products and services, using a number of techniques.

Limited-Time Offer

Call centers may negotiate with reluctant customers by using the “limited-time offer” technique. In the case that a customer is on the fence about making a purchase on the spot, the sales representative may offer a special, lower price if the customer will make a commitment to buy the product right away, rather than taking time to think it over.

Limited Quantity

Much as in the case of the limited-time offer approach, a call center employee may negotiate with a hesitant customer by insinuating there are only a few products left to buy. This approach is designed to make the prospective customer feel that she must buy the product immediately or risk losing out on the opportunity.

Buy-One-Get-One-Free

A ploy of call center sales negotiation may include an offer of “buy-one-get-one-free.” In this instance, a customer who balks at the price of a product or service may be enticed to make the purchase when he’s led to believe he’s getting double his money’s worth.

Buy a Donation

In the event a call center customer argues that she doesn’t have a need for the product or service being offered, a sales representative may negotiate a sale of an item that will then be donated to the customer’s charity of choice. An example is purchasing a magazine subscription to be donated to a hospital or library.

Up-Sell

Up-selling, or getting a customer to buy more than he originally intended, is a common sales technique. Savvy call center sales representatives may use this approach as a negotiating tactic. An example is a call center selling vitamins; the sales representative would tell a prospective customer that he can have a free diet book with the purchase of the next-largest bottle of vitamins. With this approach, the customer may feel he is getting a deal, while the call center is actually making an up-sell.

Freebies

Freebies are commonly used in negotiating technique by sales call centers. With this approach, potential customers are offered free “extras” for making a purchase on the spot. These offers may include free shipping, an upgrade to a better version of the product or an extended warranty.

About the Author

Lisa McQuerrey has been a business writer since 1987. In 1994, she launched a full-service marketing and communications firm. McQuerrey's work has garnered awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the International Association of Business Communicators and the Associated Press. She is also the author of several nonfiction trade publications, and, in 2012, had her first young-adult novel published by Glass Page Books.